Public life versus private life: What our pollies said

What they said: politicians react to Barnaby’s baby news

Leader of the Labor Party, Bill Shorten.
“I think it would be wise of Mr Turnbull to reassure the Australian public that nothing untoward has occurred here,” he said.
“Barnaby Joyce’s private life is his business.”

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann on Vikki Campion's career.
“She's clearly somebody who is qualified to do the job and she was hired in certain positions based on merit and there's nothing really further to add," he told told Sky News.
"All of my advice is that everything was absolutely above board."

Transport Minister Darren Chester on Mr Joyce's personal life.
"My view is private lives and personal matters should remain private. I wish them all well, particularly the baby on the way," he said.

MP Michael McCormack on Mr Joyce's private life.
"This ricochets on families. There’s a principal here I’ve always abided by to not engage on anything that hits the private lives of people in parliament and I'm not about to start as now," he said.

Queensland LNP MP George Christensen.
"I support Barnaby 100 per cent as a leader, personal lives are personal lives, I support policy, which has nothing to do with personal lives," he said.

Anthony Albanese, Labor Party.
"The Labor Party has not made comment about Barnaby Joyce’s personal life for the last six months despite the fact it has been well known in this building. I have plenty of criticisms of Barnaby Joyce, I think he is a very poor Deputy Prime Minister but my criticisms of him are of his job, his personal matters are none of my business. I am very critical of his performance as deputy prime minister."

Treasurer Scott Morrison, LNP.
"In terms of Barnaby's own private conduct it's not for me to defend him on that," The Treasurer told The Daily Telegraph.
"People know my views on these things, but I'm also very aware of human frailty."

Nigel Scullion, Liberal Party.
He insists he did not know Joyce and Campion were in a relationship.
"I have no interest in those matters," he told Sky News.
He added there is no evidence that Joyce has done anything wrong.

Nationals Senator John 'Wacka' Williams
"His private life's his private life and hopefully he hasn't breached any regulations when it comes to travel allowances or the spending of the public purse," he said, expressing confidence his leader had done the right thing.
"That's the situation and let's see how it pans out."

Kevin Rudd, Former Labor Prime Minister.
"My view of all that is that this is a really tragic set of personal and family circumstances," he said.
Mr Rudd said he would not contribute to the debate surrounding the scandal.

Labor MP and Shadow Finance Minister Jim Chalmers.
“I think it is time for Malcolm Turnbull to give a proper statement about what’s happened there," he said.
"I don’t know, you don’t know, the ins-and-outs of what arrangements have been struck. It’s for the Prime Minister to stand up as soon as possible and explain that to the Australian people.”

Liberal MP Julie Bishop on Vikki Campion's career.
“I understand that’s she’s a very well qualified journalist...She would be sought after in (MPs) offices given that background,” she said.

Labor frontbencher Tony Burke
“It's something I view as none of my business,” he said.
“This ricochets and affects families. There's a principle here that I've always abided by to not engage in anything that hits the private lives of other members of parliament.”